Toy figure.



No. 7|5,|06. Patented Dec. 2'. |902.

F. K. T. Mimi-:0K5

Tov Fls'uns.

(Appl t nldrb 5 1.902)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT EEICE.

FRITZ K. T. MEINECKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT SCHOENHUT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY FIGURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 5,106, dated December 2, 1902.

Application filed February 5, 1902. Serial No. 92,701. (No model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ K. T. MEINECKE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, StateofPennsylvania,haveinventednewand useful Improvementsin ToyFigures,of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a toy ligure, such as an animal, formed of a body and articulate 1o parts comprising the head, neck, and limbs and ball-and-socketjoints, which permit said parts to be placed in various positions, and means for holding them as placed, the construction of the parts being hereinafter described and the novel features pointed out in the claims.

Figure l represents a side elevation of a toy animal embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section thereof. zo Figs. 3 and 4l represent transverse sections thereof, respectively, on lines ot and fg y of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a toy animal, which in the present case is in the form of a donkey, to which, however, I do not limit myself, and which is composed of the body B, head C, neck D, and legs E.

3o On the head is the hemispherical piece F, the same freely entering a similarly-shaped opening G in the upper end of the neck, forming a ball-andsocket joint for said parts. On the lower end of said neck is the hemispherical 3 5 piece H, the same freely entering a similarlyshaped opening .I in the forward end ofthe body B, forming a ball-and-socket joint for said parts.

On the upperends of the legsE are the hemi- 4o spherical pieces K, the same freely entering cess N.

that the means for connecting said cords with the respective parts are in the present case the eyes or staples Q, which are seated in recesses between ears S on the piece F of the head and pieces K of the rear legs, and so prevented from coming in contact with the walls of the adjacent sockets and loosening or being broken off.

In the forward portion of the body over the 6o front legs E are recesses T, which converge upwardly and join the recess N in the body B, said recesses having between them the vertical partition or wall U, over which the elastic cord or piece V passes, thelatter extending through the recesses T to the tops of the front legs E, to which they are connected by fastenings, in the present case consisting of staples W, which are seated in recesses between ears X on the hemispherical pieces K of the legs, 7o whereby said staples are prevented from coming in contact with the walls of the adjacent sockets, and thus loosening or being broken off.

It will be seen that the recess M inthe neck D is deflected upwardly from the recess N in the body. This causes an abutment of a portion of the elastic cord against the upper front wall of said recess N and a deliection of said cord from the base of the neck, so as to firmly 8o hold the head and neck to the position in which they Vmay be placed without shifting said cord, while generally preserving the elasticity of the entire length of the same. It will also be seen that the recess N in the rear of the body is deliected downwardly from the re- This forms an abutment on the lower front wall of said recess N' for the elastic cord, so that the hind legs E may be moved without actually disturbing the remainder of 9o the cord in front of the said abutment, While the elasticity of the full length of the cord is preserved.

The cord V is doubled over the wall U, which latter forms an abutment for said cord at the top bendthereof, so that one leg may be moved Without necessarily disturbing the other, While the elasticity of said cordVis preserved.

It will be-seen that owing tothe bal1-and socket joints and the articulations of the head, I oo neck, and legsthe latter-named parts may be turned in various directions, and thus assume different positions, and owing to the tension of the different elastic pieces or cords the parts will retain the positions in which they are placed, it being evident that interesting and amusing changesmay be made in the angles of the head, neck, body, and legs independent of each other by properly manipulating said parts, when the elastic pieces or cords control the latter and render the ball-andsocket joints immovable until again overcome by the force necessary to move the parts in question.

It will be seen that, excepting the openings or bores M N N T, made in the neck and body of the toy, said neck and body are each solid and so possess strength and durability.

In order to conveniently connect the last cords with the respective parts, I employ the hooks Y, Which are attached to said cords and the staples of said parts. In the present case said cords are each made of a single or continuous piece of material, which admits of greater lengths,and consequently of increased play and resiliency, so that While the movable parts are permitted to yield comparatively easy they firmly hold said parts in their seats or sockets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. A toy figure consisting of a body, articulated head, neck and legs, said head and legs having recesses in their inner ends, ball-andsocket joints for said head, neck, body and legs, an elastic piece passing through said neck and body and extending from said head to the rear legs, an elastic piece extending from the front legs into said'body and hookand-eye connections for said elastic pieces, the same beingl seated in the aforesaid recesses.

2. In a toy figure, a body, an articulated neck thereon, an articulated head on said neck, articulated legs on said body, said neck and body each havinga bore therein, the bores being angular to each other, an abutment on the lower side of said bore at the rear portion thereof, and an elastic connection in said bores for said head, neck, body and the hind legs, saidconnection being deflected in opposite directions by said abutment, the bore of said 4from one leg to the other and being seated on the apex of said Wall at the longitudinally-extendingbore.

FRITZ K. T. MEINECKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, C. D. MCVAY. 

